As a nation, we must take a comprehensive and unbiased approach to national transportation/energy policy. We have been given the natural resources to make this happen. It is simply a question of having the will to see it through, without giving into factions and lobbies.

Step 1: Immediate and massive conversion of diesel fleet vehicles to natural gas power (NGV). This will spur employment and lower pollution in communities across the nation. School bus, public transportation, utility, delivery, and courier fleets present a prime opportunity for retrofits and new vehicle sales.

Step 2: Encourage the rapid adoption of highly-efficient clean diesel passenger vehicles. The engines and exhaust treatment systems have been developed. Americans need to be able to buy passenger vehicles with the same fuel-efficient engines that are available in Europe, where diesel market share exceeds 50%.

Step 3: Continue to encourage the development of electric-powered passenger vehicles (PHEVs & EVs). Lets get the battery plants built and bring these cars to market at an affordable cost. This will require massive government subsidies in the short-term, until the cost of production is driven down to a realistic level.

Step 4: Turn up the heat on biofuel development. Ease away from inefficient corn-based ethanol production. Increase algae production efforts.

Step 5: Provide micro-grants to garage entrepreneurs for technology development and installation. Revitalize the auto dealerships that have lost their franchise and get those service departments humming again.

Step 6: Encourage drivers to become more fuel-efficient through technology and technique. You don’t have to drive like Grandma to save a few dollars at the pump each time you fill up. Over the course of a year, the savings can be significant.

Tens of millions of existing pickup trucks could benefit from the conversion to plentiful natural gas or to more fuel-efficient diesel engines. Shuttered automobile dealerships could become conversion centers that reemploy displaced workers and stimulate the economy on Main Street. Existing technology can be bolted into place immediately, without waiting years for development.

Domestically manufactured clean diesel engines and natural gas vehicle (NGV) conversion kits will bring benefit in the near term, as battery-powered conversions come down the line and prices fall.

Cash for Clunkers was just a start. There is much more to do at a local level.

A Recovery Through Retrofit program for Pickup Trucks goes right to the heart of the matter, by providing economic sensibility with an approach that encompasses all technologies, rather than one.

This wonderful beast delivers a unique combination of fuel efficiency, range, driveability, luxury, and towing capacity, along with some of the best in-cabin technology on the market today.

If you’ve spent much time on MPGomatic.com, watched a bunch of my review videos on YouTube, or follow me on Twitter, you might already know that I dig clean diesel technology and the potential it holds for America.

So when I was invited to take the clean diesel Q7 TDI on a road trip to see how many miles I could squeak out of the 26.4 gallon fuel tank, I jumped at the chance.

While the 2009 Q7 TDI is officially rated at 17 city / 25 highway miles per gallon (MPG), I knew it was capable of significantly better mileage when driven conscientiously.

The first leg of the effort on the Interstate proved that out, as I scored 28.3 MPG with the cruise control on (set at our standard 68 MPH) and 30.1 MPG (at speeds between 60 and 72 MPH) with the cruise control off. With outside temperatures in the 80s, the air conditioning ran for the entire day. By the time the Q7 TDI rolled back into the driveway late that afternoon, I had travelled just under 200 miles on just over seven gallons of fuel.

These are impressive numbers for a seven-passenger vehicle, all the more so when you consider the amount of power and towing capacity. With the Q7 TDI, fuel economy is just the start.

When you talk about diesel engines, it’s not the horsepower (HP) that makes the difference … it’s the torque. While the common-rail injected 3.0 liter V6 is rated at 225 HP, it puts out a stunning 406 foot pounds of torque. All that torque allows for a very generous towing capacity of 6,600 pounds. Not to mention a very rewarding rush of acceleration when you step on the pedal …

The second leg of our test was largely spent on local roads, both in-town and out in the country. Once again, the Q7 TDI’s mileage results were exemplary for its size and weight, with 45 MPH back road cruising delivering mileage well into the thirties.

Our goal for the tank was 600 miles of combined driving. If we had planned out a route that consisted exclusively of backroads and Interstate driving, we could have exceeded that distance handily.

As it turned out, we fell a just a bit short of our goal. Blame it on the route and the rush that the Q7 TDI delivers when you mash the pedal. That blast of locomotive-like power is remarkably smooth and all too addictive.

Despite what the naysayers might think, the availability of diesel fuel was not a problem whatsoever around these parts, whatsoever.

When it came time to finally fill up, we rolled past a raft of stations, looking for the least expensive price per gallon. 6 of 7 stations had diesel fuel, although there was a wide variation in pricing. For the most part, the cost of diesel fuel hovered around the cost of unleaded regular gasoline.

After traveling 588.4 miles, we pulled into a Quik Check with five miles worth of fuel left in our tank.

If we had the chance for a do-over with a tightly planned route, 750 miles on one tank would be well within reason.

It’s a great feeling knowing that someone has been listening. We’ve been banging the drum here at MPGomatic for two years now.

An average of 35.5 MPG is not a lofty goal, even in this shortened time frame. Back in March of 2008, MPGomatic opened some eyeballs and raised a lot of eyebrows when we published 35 MPG: Why Wait Until 2020, an article that provided details on the export-only fuel-efficient diesel-powered cars and SUVs that Chrysler builds right here in North America, half of which already hit the 35 MPG mark. Hundreds of thousands of folks have read that article and learned the truth over the past fourteen months.

In Europe, 35 MPG isn’t a goal. It’s the norm.

America need not and must not fear this change. We must embrace it with the realization that it is the best way forward.

35 MPG does not = wimpy cars.

BMW’s current lineup in Germany already hits an average of 35 MPG. To this point, this has been achieved without selling hybrid vehicles. Roughly fifty percent of the vehicles sold by BMW in Germany are powered by fuel-efficient clean diesel engines.

We’ve had the good fortune to spend time with two of BMW’s clean diesels, the 123d and the 335d. These are fantastically fun-to-drive driving machines.

While the little 123d is yet to be imported into the States, the 335d is currently available … with a federal tax credit, no less … and it’s a ball of clean green fun. In our week with the 335d, we were able to easily achieve highway mileage in the mid-forty MPG range, while blasting out six second 0-60 MPH times.

Why isn’t the conventional press screaming the praises of this car?

The road to the future will take multiple alternative fuel technologies, including clean diesel, NGV, hybrid, plug-in electric, extended-range electric, small-displacement direct-injected gasoline, and yes … even hydrogen.

Through our auto industry may be in tumult, the automakers now have a clear path to follow. Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors aren’t down for the count. They’re between rounds. Each one of these companies has the technology and the will to get this done.

Bring It On.

According to the Energy Information Administration, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is currently $2.240 per gallon in the U.S., while the average price for a gallon of diesel fuel is $2.216. Price differentials vary on a region by region basis, with the cost of diesel exceeding regular unleaded gasoline in many locations. The diesel price advantage is highest in the Midwest, where a gallon of regular unleaded averages $2.257 and diesel fuel averages $2.156.

It’s unclear whether this trend will continue as we enter the summer driving season, when gas prices typically peak. If it does, sales of fuel efficient clean diesels like the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and BMW 335d are sure to increase.

Rising fuel prices, government incentives for alternative fuel vehicles, and the inevitable passage of some form of the Cash for Clunkers program along with the pairing of Fiat and Chrysler all favor a heightened adoption of clean diesel technology here in the States.

Regular Unleaded Gasoline / Diesel Fuel Prices – 5/11/2009

Source: Energy Information Administration

GM was clearly aiming at BMW when they engineered the G8 GT. While the Pontiac can’t match the BMW in terms of fit, finish, quality of interior materials, and in-car electronics, it’s a different story out on the open road and on the bottom line. Although the G8 GT might not be the ultimate driving machine, it does quite well … far better than most folks would ever expect.

Pontiac G8 GT 0-60 MPH

The biggest difference comes down to drive trains. Both cars rock advanced six-speed automatic transmissions, but the 335d’s clean diesel twin-turbo six pulls far ahead when it comes down to fuel economy. The G8 GT’s 361 HP 6.0-liter V8 delivers superior 0-60 MPH times (5.3 seconds vs 6.0 seconds), but the 335d delivers highway MPG numbers that are close to double that of the Pontiac (not to mention an amazing 425 foot pounds of torque).

BMW 335d 0-60 MPH

The G8 GT pulls ahead when it comes to the spaciousness of the interior and out-the-door cost. With the fire sale that’s going on at GM dealers right now, G8 GTs can be had for roughly half the price of the 335d.

Bottom line?

These are both great cars … but if we had our way, we’d love to shoehorn the Beemer’s big bad clean diesel under the hood of the G8 GT, just for hoots …

But in these crazy times, it seems, there are still vehicles that are commanding premiums over the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP). We’ve heard numerous stories about Volkswagen dealers charging well over the MSRP sticker price for new Jetta TDI clean diesels. And needless to say, it doesn’t make us very happy.

We can understand the demand. Our week-long 2009 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI test drive proved the point … this is one of the best vehicles for the money in America today.

For the good of the brand – and for clean diesel’s acceptance in America – market demand must not be allowed to provoke greed.

If Volkswagen is to market their cars as the People’s Cars, they must exert pressure on their dealers to stop the unfortunate practice of selling Jetta TDIs for above MSRP. We fully understand that it’s tough to be a car dealer at the moment, but a smash and grab sales tactic sullies the brand over the long run, purely for short-term dealer gain.

The 2009 BMW 335d is like nothing else on the road in America today. While it looks, for all intents and purposes, like typical 3-series BMW, the 335d’s game-changing clean diesel engine transforms the car into a tour de force to be reckoned with.

The 335d’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline six produces 265 horsepower (HP) and an amazing 425 foot pounds of torque. The powerful clean diesel engine is exclusively mated to a six-speed Steptronic automatic transmission. (The Steptronic can be shifted manually via the console-mounted slapstick shifter. Paddle shifters are optional.)

The official mileage estimates for the 2009 BMW 335d are 23 city / 36 highway miles per gallon (MPG).

We put over 750 miles on our Alpine White 335d review unit, and vanquished the official estimates, scoring an average of 43.9 MPG on the Interstate highway, with 35.1 MPG combined. Test period temperatures ranged from the forties through the sixties, with freeway speeds between 60 and 72 miles per hour (MPH).

The 335d presents a paradox. It isn’t just fuel efficient. It’s downright fast, with a stated 0-60 MPH time of six seconds flat.

Coaxing the best mileage out of the powerful twin-turbo engine isn’t difficult, once you get the hang of it (and gain the willpower to resist the sheer joy of stomping on the accelerator pedal at every opportunity).

Once you’ve accelerated to speed, let off the throttle. By lightening your right foot, you can get the 335d into a high mile-per-gallon range. Feather your foot and watch the analog MPG gauge (underneath the tachometer) to achieve the lightest touch. If you modulate your touch, you can slip into the vicinity of 50 MPG at 50 MPH. The 335d’s proliferation of torque makes it easy to feather the throttle and float down the highway.
Note: Our 335d test unit was delivered with under 2,000 miles on the clock. As with all diesel engines, we’d expect mileage to increase once the diesel engine has undergone a proper break-in period.

Although the 335d’s ride may be a tad stiff for some folks, it’s well balanced and the handling is excellent. Make no mistake about it, handling prowess plays into fuel economy, by making it easier to carry speed into and out of turns. The less you’re on the throttle, the better your mileage results.

Unlike many hybrids, which gain MPGs through low-rolling-resistance tires that can negatively affect grip and handling, the rear-wheel-drive 335d is glued to the road with low profile 225/45R-17 tires as standard equipment. (18-inch performance tires are optional.)

The 335d is unquestionably a drivers car, with a snug, though well-appointed cabin. Our test unit was equipped with Black Dakota Leather and packed with options, including heated seats with power lumbar support, USB iPod adapter, Park Distance Control, satellite radio, and navigation system (complete with real-time traffic).

The console mounted iDrive system uses a toggle knob and seven buttons to provides full access to the 335d’s audio, navigation, and cellular telephone capabilities. An internal hard drive is provided for in-car audio storage. Voice and steering wheel-mounted controls complete the mix.

The iDrive trip computer keeps track of the departure time, trip duration, distance traveled, and average speed, in addition to providing a running tally on fuel consumption. A miles to empty display is located between the speedometer and tachometer.

Hands free Bluetooth integration is top shelf. The process of syncing is straightforward and the upload of phone book information was performed flawlessly. There are two 12-volt outlets – one inside the center console and the other in the ashtray.

All-in-all, the BMW 335d is one of the best choices today for the fuel-conscious sporting driver, with the change to spare. No other car in America can compare with the 335d’s combination of thrilling performance and excellent fuel economy.

I spent some time with the folks from Fleet Biodiesel at the 2008 Alternative Fuels and Vehicles Conference in Las Vegas, where we shot this video:

Fleet has developed a range of relatively inexpensive biodiesel test kits to check for water and visual appearance, microbial contamination, acid number, biodiesel percentage, and total glycerin.

If you’re running biodiesel in your vehicle, you should keep a test kit (or two!) on the shelf in the garage …

Influence is just as important as action (or inaction).

Here’s a specific case in point …

Last April, Newsweek published a piece entitled Miles to Go, with the far more descriptive yet entirely misleading subhead, “Why automakers don’t sell a car that gets 50 MPG.” Never once does the article mention fuel-efficient diesel engines, yet the article begins with the chestnut:

Wouldn’t it be great if you could drive a car that gets 50 miles per gallon? Well, you can. Just hop on a plane and fly to Europe, where all new cars average 43mpg, or Japan, where the average hits 50mpg.

Well, gee … why do European cars get such great mileage? Lets guess … it’s not just because they are often smaller then their American counterparts. It’s not because Europeans are driving hybrids (which they largely dismiss). It’s because more than fifty percent of the new cars sold in Europe use far more efficient diesel engines.

Can we blame the article’s omission of fact on editorial ignorance or something more heinous?

Ah, but all hope is not lost.

Earlier this month, Newsweek woke up and ran an article entitled Diesel vs. Hybrid, with the subhead “There’s more than one way to build an environmentally-friendly car.”

Could it be? The oil men have left the building and only weeks later Newsweek wakes up to the facts?

The piece opens and closes with the word from Volkswagen. The 2009 Jetta TDI is flying off the lot. VW put in the work to bring a clean diesel engine to the States and the gamble – rather, the investment – is paying off.

The vast majority of Americans have absolutely no clue how wonderful the new clean diesels are to drive. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time test driving clean diesel vehicles over the past year, at my own expense. (My research and coverage is not influenced by corporate overlords, though it is constrained by current economic conditions.)

The German automobile manufacturers absolutely have it right. Bringing fuel-efficient fun-to-drive clean diesels to America takes a lot of guts … and smarts.